# Flat Earths and Fake Footnotes

**URL:** https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/flat-earths-and-fake-footnotes/14777
**Category:** Peaceful Science
**Created:** [February 2, 2022, 5:40pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/flat-earths-and-fake-footnotes/14777 "2022-02-02T17:40:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 21

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### Author: ![Tim](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/tim/32/9381_2.png) [@Tim](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/Tim)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2022, 3:21am UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/flat-earths-and-fake-footnotes/14777/21 "2022-02-10T03:21:59Z")

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Ted.

I have already apologised for failing to make it clear that I was addressing the contents of Patterson’s essay/chapter/whatever.

That piece puts a heavy emphasis on Flat Earth in general, and the Columbus Flat Earth myth in particular. I therefore do not consider it unreasonable to concentrate on this issue.

I also do not think it is unreasonable, particularly given Washington Irving’s involvement, to suggest that the Columbus Flat Earth myth was aimed at distorting/romanticising **American** History, rather than the History of Science, and that the History of Science was merely ‘collateral damage’, and that this therefore fits more uncomfortably into any wider pattern.

> [@TedDavis](#):
>
> I was responding specifically to your general point about people blaming “the Church” for loss of scientific knowledge, not to your specific point about the Flat Earth.

If this phenomenon is this common (and I have no reason to disbelieve you on this point) then I am surprised that Patterson was unable to find anyone who would _condemn themselves out of their own mouth_, and had to resort to putting words in their mouth.

> [@TedDavis](#):
>
> … especially among the many religious skeptics who literally don’t know any better.

I do not think this is helped when an atheism “skeptic” (I’d use a more severe term myself) makes [baseless accusations](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/the-conflict-thesis/14775/11) on the subject, and clearly “don’t know any better”, as he thinks [these quotes](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/the-conflict-thesis/14775/39) are “[the quotes [he] had in mind](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/the-conflict-thesis/14775/40)”, when they support [nothing of the sort](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/the-conflict-thesis/14775/41).

I have never read Sagan’s book, nor seen his series – it was probably shown _eventually_ in NZ but, given practices at the time, probably not for years afterwards. I have however read Patterson’s piece and his baseless accusations against several prominent atheist scientists. I think I can be forgiven for both wanting to concentrate on the latter, and wishing to see them addressed before we move onto the wider subject (including Sagan).

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